Holden Caulfield 's ' The Catcher 's The Rye ' Essay

Adolescence is quite possibly the most awkward moment in one’s life. It is a transition from youth to adulthood, in which a person experiences puberty, gains insight to their true identity, and has to figure out plans for the rest of their life whilst balancing all the crazy mishaps life has to offer. It is a troubling, yet rewarding period of time, and in the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger, the main character Holden Caulfield experiences all of this within a span of five days. “The Catcher in the Rye” is quite simply the epitome of a bildungsroman, or a coming of age novel. It is the story of a teenage boy grieving over the death of his younger brother and coming to terms with growing up. His obsession with purity and his countless lists of things he dislikes overshadows the underlying, yet obvious, theme: growing up is a major drag. With all of these attributes, it is no doubt that “The Catcher in the Rye” would be classified as a bildungsroman, therefore it should be recognized as so. The first, and quite frankly most important, parts of being a bildungsroman is the story focusing on the steady maturation of the character over the span of the novel. Holden’s transition however is slow and subtle, but powerful by the end of the novel. He experiences this revelation of where he’s supposed to be headed towards in life, as opposed to digressing back into time like he initially planned to. Holden would be described as a dynamic character because his…

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diagnosed with a mental illness or a type of disorder due to stress or tragedy that you experience. It is evident that the protagonist, Holden Caulfield suffers from depression due to the death of his younger brother, Allie in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Due to Allie’s death, Holden’s actions elicit his own views of the world and the “phonies” around him. Holden has tunnel-vision to living a simple, happy life and isolates himself from those around him who understand the concept of growing…

not matter. now imagine you are like this with everyone you meet. this is the life of Holden Caulfield in J.D. salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. he is a sixteen year old New Yorker who has been to numerous boarding schools for numerous reasons, all tracing back to one. Holden avoids tough conversations and feelings by disuniting himself from people and refraining from expressing his true emotions.
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impact on you that it altered who you are and the way you live, forever? For Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye this was a reality. Holden’s blissful childhood was brought to an abrupt stop when his brother and best friend, Allie passed away. Everyone mourns the loss of loved ones differently. For Holden, he was stuck in the moment of his brother’s death. Experiencing such a trauma while being so young left Holden with lasting negative effects and the idea that there is no happiness past childhood…